Rockford, IL Reviews

Ghetto - 12/8/2013
Rockford has too many drug dealers and gangs. If you want to live in fear move to Rockford. There are a lot of ghetto kids. they steal if they can especially on 23rd ave. The black gang members walk down 10th street and try to break into homes and cars. The town is a mess. too much traffic, radium in the drinking water. Everyone is trying to sell their homes. Some homes are vacated. Why because gangs and thieves drove these people out. Some are senior citizens. They are the weak. So the gangs find them as prey. Prostitutes on 11th street. White trash at the 11th street park. You need a dog or a gun if you live on the South East Side. There is always someone trying to break into a house. They first start by knocking on your door if your lights are out. Always leave a light on. Also the cops do nothing to stop this or the mayor. What a poor excuse of tax payer Read More

SMALL TOWN MINDS - 5/25/2013
Rockford is a very large city,very diverse and ethnic. Is is very divided between rich and poor, black and white. Good city for cost of living, but politicians do not like change. I feel like we are way behind and we were voted worst city in America 3 years Read More

Cost of housing - 1/10/2013
Rockford offers ecomonical Read More

Tax Pressures - 1/20/2012
Real estate costs are well within reason, but real estate taxes to fund city schools and local park district are some of the highest in the Read More

bad idea--- - 12/5/2011
This town is going nowhere fast-if you read the local paper it will not give you the real facts as it is trying to change the perception of the community to residents and outsiders, though this does nothing to help teh reality of the town---problem is, changing the reality will take more time than most people have. You would have to be very desperate to make a move here or not understand what is good for you or your family. There is a reason that only 13% of the population has a bachelor's degree in Rockford (the paper will tell you over 20%). Those who are educated know this place is going nowhere fast and understand that a quality life can not be made here. Crime, education, unemployment, are all bad and some of teh worst in nation(recently rated 9th most dangerous city in the US,)--and will be for sometime. If yo got twenty years to kill--this is your Read More

Great in the summer, AWFUL in the winter...bad edu - 6/30/2011
Although Rockford summers have gotten shorter and the weather is much less consistent, there is a lot to do in the summer in the nearby communities. We have Magic Waters (a large outdoor water park), Rock Cut State Park (a great park with a lake, horseback riding trails, biking/walking trails, fishing), Pearl Lake (man-made), and the Rock River (although dirty, it is great for recreational boating). These are just a few of the attractions. However, the downfall is the winter...there is NOTHING to do. There are a few sledding hills for snow fun, but the entertainment aspect is dull at best.

The school system in Rockford has gone through so many lawsuits due to racism, that the focus on education has been lost. Integration has been the concern instead of making sure ALL ethnicities receive the same educational opportunities.

Although the housing prices are very reasonable, the property taxes have ALSO been affected by the poor school system. Homeowners Read More

Change of Heart. - 1/23/2011
i've lived in rockford for almost 4 years now, and yes at first i didn't like it here. why wouldn't i? new place, new people, new life. then, i got into the local scene. if you go around town you will meet some interesting people, i mean i understand the crabbiness, it's so cold here who wouldn't be? haha, but yes, i learned that here just like any other place in the u.s. you've got to treat others as you want to be treated. it's contagious, trust me. things, actually aren't so bad here. the "thugs" an other reviewer was speaking of, well, they aren't going to do anything to you unless you give them a reason. most likely, the only reason why that person had nothing but horrible things to say was because, they might have been rude and no one was putting up with them. quite honestly? this is a nice place to have fun. there are a lot of local spots you can just hang out and party, some places you can just lounge around. then some places you can dine and not be bothered. it's all in what Read More

Arctic winter conditions - 1/21/2011
If you are looking for a moderate climate, this is NOT the place for you. For example, the Rockford Public Schools are closed today (1-21-2011) due to "arctic conditions" - with air temps well below zero (I recorded -14 at 7:20 AM) and wind chills way below that. The first snow of the winter season usually arrives around Thanksgiving and we sometimes don't see clear ground again until late March or early April. If one could really get out and enjoy the snowy sports, you would have snow; however, you have to drive at least 2 hours away to find downhill skiiing and often air temps are too dangerously cold to intelligently participate in any outdoor activities at all. Spring is a short season, followed by humid summers that aren't too bad, followed by a short but lovely fall season. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best climate, I would rate Rockford, Illinois, as a solid 3. Better bring your arctic down-filled Carhartts if you're going to live up Read More

Good stuff to do in Rockford - 1/20/2011
Anderson Japanese Gardens, Rockford Art Museum, Magic Waters, Volcano Falls, Burpee Museum, Discovery Center, Klehm Arboretum, Rock Cut State Read More

Crime in Rockford - 12/6/2010
Lived here for over 25 years in lots of different parts of the city... I have never had any problems...it is true the town has changed...it's not the vibrant place it once was 10 years ago, but it is still a very easy place to live... quiet, good place to raise a family...you get out of it what you put into it...if you're bored get a gym membeship and satellite tv...if that's not enough... drive an hour east to Chicago and you can have the Art Institute etc... but even then, after you come and go a couple of times, you reallize there's only so times you can look at the same Picasso, and you begin to think.. ok... that was cool.. now what? Rockford is just like any number of small towns in the U.S.....some good, some bad, and never all the things you want to make it a dream place...if you want art, music, etc...you have to go after it on your own... it's out there in a variety of places...every town has it's good and bad sections... common sense.. live in the good part, stay out of Read More